Three Memorable Life Lessons
by Ladyfun
Summary: Written for Round 1 /Season 2 of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. Draco has learned many things over the years from his infamous Aunt Bella; everything ranging from "stay alert, stay alive" to "don't judge a book by it's cover." Three life lessons stick out in his mind, however. Bellamione.


Written for Round 1 /Season 2 of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. Draco has learned many things over the years from his infamous Aunt Bella; everything ranging from "stay alert, stay alive" to "don't judge a book by it's cover." Three life lessons stick out in his mind, however. Bellamione.

**A/N #1:** Written for Round 1 /Season 2 of the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition. Optional prompts used: (word) stubborn(ess); (quote) "Every family has bad memories." Mario Puzo.

**A/N #2**: Okay, this is my inaugural run with this dealio. Hopefully no deaths will ensue. I don't think I've ever written a "T" level fic, but what the hell….there's a first time for everything!

**Round 1 - Family Roles**

Title/Link: **The** **Three Memorable Life Lessons**

Team: **Wigtown Wanderers  
**Position: **BEATER 2:  
**Prompt: family role: niece/nephew

**XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX**

There were _three memorable life lessons_ he had learned from his infamous Aunt.

He was fourteen when he experienced the first one, taught to him the hard way. He remembered vividly; he was getting ready to dive into his birthday cake, when it unexpectedly exploded, sending shards of hard icing into his face, arms, and chest. The table caught fire, and he remembered bleeding…nearly everywhere.

He embarrassed himself by being scared and crying from the unexpected shock. He immediately hexed Crabbe who dared to laugh at him. His father was equally disgusted with him _as well as_ the insane dark witch who cursed the birthday cake in the first place.

He grabbed him by his elbow, yanking him up off the floor. "Men do not cry, Draco!" His father said, with a sneer.

"**Lucius!"** His mother urged. "He's hurt!"

"This? It's nothing!" He raged, looking as though he wanted to slap the both of them.

With a stern look that silenced even her bellowing husband, Narcissa Malfoy ushered Draco out of the Dining Hall, and upstairs to address his injuries, in private. The evil cackle hollered out from his Aunt Bellatrix in their wake caused the teen to cringe. As the two trudged up the stairs, he heard the distinctive voice of his Aunt Bellatrix reverberating throughout the Manor.

_"__Awww….icky wicky baby Draco can't handle a little surprise?" _Bella said, voice dripping with malevolence. She was shouted up towards the pair upstairs. "_How the hell_ is he going to serve our Master, if he is such a damn liability, Cissy? You're not helping!"

His pride was hurt more than anything, and his mother sighed as she cleaned the blood off his robes. "She used to be so amazing, Draco. I'm sorry…I'm sorry that this is your Aunt, now. Azkaban Prison did things to her…awful things. She's _not right_, dear."

"_Not right?" _He looked incredulous_._ "Bloody hell, Mother, my Aunt is _mental_!"

Narcissa looked sad. "She _didn't used to be_, Draco. When I was a little girl, she was my hero." His mother sighed. "But that person is gone…and all that's left is this crazy servant to the Dark Lord, I suppose. A shell of what she used to be. You know, a man name Mario Puzo once said, 'Every family has bad memories,' and well, I suppose your Aunt is destined to be** your** 'bad memory', Draco…"

He nodded his agreement.

Later that night, as he walked down the hall towards his room, he felt his arm jerk, and he was pulled into the shadows.

"_What the-?"_ He said, startled.

**"****Shh**!" The beautiful dark witch admonished, hand clasped firmly over his mouth.

He was face to face with _evil incarnate_, his body pressed against his _insane Aunt_, held captive. He did his best not to be afraid. He steeled his nerves to look her in the eyes, and not be a coward; but the truth was_, she scared him._

She scared _a lot of people_, actually.

As Draco looked up, into his Aunt's brown eyes, he furrowed his brow, regarding Bella. Looking back at him carefully was a woman clearly in possession of her faculties.

A woman clearly_ not_ insane.

In an unnervingly calm tone, she asked him, "Okay, Draco. After Action Review time. _What did you learn_, today?"

"Um…not to invite you to any more birthday parties?"

She huffed. "Draco! _This is serious!_ Dark times are upon us…paying attention to your surroundings just might save your damn spoiled ass, one of these days. " She sniffed, with slight disdain. "You, sir, most definitely did** not** pay attention."

He forced his expression to become more serious, and he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "I guess_…I guess_ I learned today that I should survey my surroundings, and not get too comfortable. Expect the unexpected, when you least expect it."

_"__Yes._ What else?"

He thought about it for a moment. "I learned that Crabbe is a fucking git!"

She rolled her eyes. "We knew that, already, boy wonder. The lesson is one , however, regarding a point about relationships."

He shook his head, unsure.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm not going to _spoon feed_ you the rest of your life, Draco. One day I won't be around! However, because I am tired, I will indulge you this one time. The lesson is this: In a time of crisis, who will you rely on? The answer is_…not your father_!"

Draco's expression was hard, recalling his father's shaming words in front of everyone, and his lack of concern for his own son's safety.

He answered his aunt, an edge to his voice. "_I learned that_ if I have to chose to save only one parent, my choice would be my mother."

"Good answer, boy." Bella nodded. "_Remember that_," she said, mysteriously. Giving him an almost tender kiss on his temple, his Aunt vanished down the hallway to her own bedroom, leaving Draco feeling a muddle of different emotions all on that one night.

**XOXOXOXOXOXOX**

The second memorable life lesson was almost a full year later, when the Dark Lord had commanded him to assassinate the Headmaster of Hogwarts School, his headmaster….. Albus Dumbledore.

As to not betray their position and intentions, Voldemort had his _most trusted lieutenant_, who also happened to be Draco's Aunt, teach the young Death Eater Legilimency and Occlumency. His mind had to be closed, or else it would betray the Dark Lord's plans.

Draco had known that his fierce aunt was an incredibly skilled legilimens; but he would learn during their sessions how gifted she truly was. When they first started, she could always detect if he was lying. She would help herself, perusing into his mind and delving into his thoughts, emotions, and memories. She chuckled endlessly at the memory of Hermione slugging him in the face their third year, much to his unhappiness.

A few weeks later, it was his turn.

He entered her mind, and deliberately distracted her by having the house elves make a racket with the pots and pans at the same time; it was the only time he saw anything of value. Briefly, he saw his Aunt, sitting next to …what the? Next to Hermione Granger? The mudblood school mate of Draco Malfoy's? They were sitting In some dingy house, next to the disowned Sirius Black, and McGonnigall, and Kingsley Shacklebolt!

He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw his Aunt actually_ touching_ the mudblood's hand! As though she was, well, holding it! _Holding Granger's hand!_

Just as quickly, he felt himself being ripped out of her mind, and she looked livid!

"Not bad, Draco. Nice stunt there, with the distraction. "

"Thank you." He said, shaky. "Um, Aunt Bella? In….in your mind, I could have sworn I saw something…."

"You did? " She said, nonchalantly. "_What?_ Say, something to the effect of me, Bellatrix Lestrange, seated amongst Order members, at Grimmauld Place?"

"Y-y-yes." He stammered, nervously.

"Almost as though I were a ….oh, I don't know, a double agent, or something?"

They looked at each other, clearly at an impasse.

"_You did,_ in fact, _see that."_ She nodded.

**_"_****_What?"_** He said, his eyes going wide, with disbelief. "But…_but_….."

She chuckled. "Stammering like a frightened little boy, Draco…tut tut." Pulling out her wand, she continued talking, but didn't meet his gaze. "So, I will explain it thusly…love can beat even _the most stubborn heart _into submission. I_t's a curious thing_, dear nephew, this thing called love."

He remained silent, sweating.

She regarded him carefully. "Draco, you have excelled at your lessons. Not even_ Voldemort himself_ has been able to see what you just did. Bravo! I commend you…really! Nephew, I'm very impressed. You're excellent."

"Thank you…do you really think so?"

"Yes, really!" She sighed. "Too bad you won't remember it."

She looked up, finally, at her frightened nephew as she murmured a solitary word causing a flash of light to leap from her dragon heartstring wand directly to the stunned face of her nephew, hitting him squarely on his forehead.

**_"_****_Obliviate."_**

**_XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXO_**

The third and final memorable life lesson was almost five years later, long after the fall of you know who.

He had taken his Aunt's word to heart; and in the end, he saved his mother, and even stinkin' Harry Potter! He blocked a hex from hitting the chosen one. As fate would have it, in the end, he fought alongside the stupid Gryffindors, at the Battle of Hogwarts.

And now, here he was, five years later….standing next to_ stinkin' Harry Potter,_ **yet again**, as they fulfilled their very important tasks. They were assigned the job of escorting two_ beautiful women_ down their respective sides of the aisle, turning them over to each other at the end.

It was a ceremony like none other, that was for sure.

Draco kissed his Aunt on the cheek, whispering in her ear. "You look gorgeous, Aunt Bella, even if you _are_ inappropriately older than that witch across the aisle from you!"

"Cheeky!" She growled, as she leaned in to hug him.

_"__I'm so proud of you,_ Aunt Bella. I wish all the happiness in the world for you and Hermione."

"Thank you, Draco." She whispered, eyes misty. "You know, I love you, kid...right?"

"That I do. Ditto."

True, it was an unconventional marriage; his aunt was nearly 28 years older than Hermione Jean Granger, the famous muggle-born witch. Whenever anyone would bring it up, Draco would remind the objecting party that his Aunt was _extremely immature_, and Granger was remarkably level-headed…so it worked out, in the end. Then he would leave, laughing, while the contrarian attempted to understand his logic.

Draco had grown to adore his strange and troubled aunt. The former Death Eater nee double agent for the Order had taught him the most important lesson of all: _love makes all things possible_. It was, as she had mentioned to him long ago, _a curious thing. _

His aunt's love had saved him from becoming like his father; and his aunt's own unexpected love, saved _herself_ from an even less palatable future.

Draco initially would have told you it was a totally improbable prospect. Really, what was the likelihood of the two most _stubborn women he had ever met in his life_ finding their way to each other? Impossible! Yet, here she was, his stubborn, brave, defiant, and gorgeous oldest aunt; the larger-than-life figure was_ willingly_ handing over her heart to the "brightest witch of her era." Hermoine "Mudblood" Granger.

Granger. _ Soon to be Black._ _Either way, the name was irrelevant,_ Draco realized.

Whatever her name,_ that person_ was the young woman responsible for putting his aunt on the _right side_ of history.

_Curious life lessons, indeed! _Draco thought to himself, looking back and forth between his Aunt, with her uncharacteristic lopsided grin, and the unadulterated joy beaming directly from the Golden Girl Gryffindor who was waiting, patiently, for the Dark Witch at the end of the aisle. They both looked ready to combust, eyes so full of love for each other. He felt his Aunt's hand tremble.

With a final reassuring squeeze, he passed his Aunt's hand over to the other, and he smiled.

**_FIN._**

**_XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXXOX_**


End file.
